Packaging device and method



12, E ME N N PACKAGING DEVICE AND METHOD Filed Feb. 3, 1938 2. Sheet-Sheet 1 BY W a M ATTORNEY.

March 12, 1940.

F. H. MEENDSEN PACKAGING DEVICE AND METHOD Filed Feb. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fJTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 12, 1940 PACKAGING DEVICE AND METHOD Frederick H. Meendsen, Garden City, N. Y., as-

signor to International Paper poration of New York Company, a cor- Application February 3, 938, Serial No. 188.408

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to the packaging of commodities and, more particularly, to the packaging of commodities in paper bags.

Many commodities are of a yieldingly resilient nature and are exceedingly bulky when relaxed or unconfined. Such commodities may be greatly reduced in bulk with only a moderate amount duced in bulk by manual manipulation and pro gressively inserted into the bag, the expansion of those portions of the commodities within the bag produces frictional resistance which renders further insertion diflicult and frequently results in wrinkling or tearing of the bag walls.

Commodities of the type discussed above include woven, knitted or felted fabrics and articles made therefrom, such as sweaters, hosiery and other articles of clothing, blankets, et cetera. Many other commodities fall within this classification, as, for example,steel or other artificial wool, natural wool, cotton batting, yarn and the like. For convenience in description, all commodities of this general type will be hereinafter referred to as compressible material.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple and efiicient method of packaging commodities of the class described.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a simple and eflicient mechanism which will facilitate the packaging of commodities of the class described.

" According to my invention, I provide an expansible form of rigid material which is adapted to be positioned within a flexible container, such as apaper bag. The formis caused to expand to open and support the bag in opened position. Commodities may be packed, to any desirable degree of compactness, into the form. The form is provided with a suitable opening communicating with the interior of the bag whereby the bag and the commodities packed in the form may be removed from the form. The package thus formed may be closed or sealed,

if so desired, in any suitable or convenient manner.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following description of a preferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of my invention together with the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device constructed according to my invention, partly in section and having portions broken away for clarty;

Fig. 2 is aperspective view, illustrating the manner of placing a bag in position upon the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the device of Fig. 1 illustrating the removal of a filled bag therefrom;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of a modified form of my invention; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the opposite side of the device illustrated in Fig. 4.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a form It! comprising two sections II and, I2 made of any suitably rigid sheet or molded material. The two sections II and I2 are suitably interconnected to form the hollow body In with cross-sectional dimensions substantially equal to .the cross-sectional dimensions of the container with which the form It is designed to cooper ate. The sections II and I2 are so interconnected as to provide for contraction and expansion of the form I whereby an empty container may be readily placed thereon and held inopened positon.

As shown in the drawings, the sections II and 12 include telescoping flanged portions I3 and It which are pivotally interconnected by suitable bearing members such as rivets l and IS. The flanged portions l3 and I4 are cut away as shown at I7 and I8 at points below the pivots l5 and H? in order to provide openings in the sides of the form ill. The flanged portions may con tinue in gradually diminishing size toward the bottom of the form I0 in order to rigidify-the structure. The lower portions of the front and rear walls l9 and 20 of sections II and 12 are tapered as shown at -2l and 22 to facilitate the introduction of a container upon the form.

The sections H and I2 above the pivots l5 and i6 form a hollow chute having front and rear walls I! and and telescopic side walls comprising the overlapped flanges l3 and |4. The upper portions of the walls forming this chute may be flared outwardlyas shown inthe drawings to facilitate the introduction of com-. modlties therein. The extensions of walls I9 and 20 below the pivots l5 and I6 constitute blades,

or plates which, together with the flanges thereon,form the bag opening and holding portion of my device. A

A contractile spring 23 is stretched between suitable supports 24 and 25 located respectively upon the sections H and I2. The spring 23 tends to maintain the form l0 in expanded position as shown in Fig. 1. A suitable stop 23 is provided upon the section l2 in a position to be abutted by the flange I4 upon section II and serves to limit the expansion of the form In under the influence of spring 23.

The device thus far described may be supported in any convenient manner upon a wall or other available surface. For convenience in manipulation of the device it is desirable to support the same in a positionspaced from the supporting surface. Thus, I have shown a spacing block 21 which is secured to one of the form sections and which may be secured to a supporting surface. As shown in the drawings, the block 21 may comprise a rectangular tube having stiffening flanges 28 at its ends. The tube or block 21 may be secured to the form l0 as by rivets 29 or by spot-welding. brazing or any other suitable means. The unit comprising form l0 and block 21 may be secured to a supporting surface W by suitable fastening means such as screws 30.

It will be understood that the interior surfaces of the form IU- should be smooth and unobstructed. To this end the rivets l5, l6 and 29 and the inner ends of pins 24, 25 and 26 should be made flush with the inner surface of the form or should be smoothly rounded.

The use of my invention in the packaging of compressible material will now be set forth. A form I0 is provided having a cross-sectional area, when expanded, slightly greater than that of the particular bag or container which it is desired. to use. The length of those portions of the form which extend below the block 21 should be approximately equal to the height of the bag. As shown in Fig. 2, the section II is rocked about the pivots l5, l6 against the tension of spring 23 to bring the lower ends of sections H and 2 together. This operation places the form ID in collapsed or contracted condition and an empty bag may be slipped upon the tapered ends 2|, 22 and drawn upwardly outside the form ill. The operation just described may be conveniently performed by applying pressure to the front Wall I9 of the'form. l0 through the front wall of the bag 3| and maintaining such pressure while the bag is drawn upwardly into operative position Pressure upon the wall l9 may now be released arid the form will expand under the influence of spring 23 to bring the walls l9 and 20 into substantially parallel relationship and into engagement with the inner surfaces of the bag 3| to open and support the samein opened position upon the form-as, shown in Fig. 1. It will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 1 that the bag 3| may be drawn upon the form to a. position wherein the mouth .of the bag is substantially in contact. with the block 21 as shown or that the bag may be drawn I upwardly to any lesser; extent desired.

Commodities 32 of compressible material may now be inserted into the flared upper portions of the form In and may be packed to any practical degree of tightness if so desired. The com- .modlties are forced downwardly through the passageway formed by the chute and bag holding portion into theinterior of bag 3|.

As shown in Fig. 3, the bag 3| and the commodities 32 may be removed from the form by inserting the fingers of the operator into the openings provided by the cut-away portions I1, l8 of the flanges l3, l4 and drawing downwardly upon the bag and commodities therein. Frictional contact between the walls I9, 20 and the inner surfaces of the bag may be relieved by exerting pressure upon the plate |9 as indicated by the position of the thumb in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that the section Il may be rocked about its pivots to cause contraction of the form III in any convenient manner. For example, it may be desired to grasp the upper edge thereof for this purpose.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have illustrated a modification of my device. In the form shown in these figures, various adjustments have been provided for the purpose ofadapting my device for use with bags of various sizes. The sections 1 I and i2 of the form III are pivotally united as by rivets 33 which secure the section f to a pair of plates 34. the section I2 for adjustment relative thereto. To this end, the plates 34 are provided with slots 35 and the section I2" has fixed thereon bolts 36 which are adaptedto enter the slots 35. The bolts 36 have threaded thereon wing nuts 31 which'may be tightened to hold the plates 34 in adjusted position relative to the section l2.

Adjustment of the plates 34 results in a changeof cross-section of the form H1 in the plane of the pivots 33 and may be availed of to adapt the form ID for the reception of bags of various cross sections.

A contractile spring 33 is stretched betwee suitable supports located respectively upon the sections II and I2, as shown in Fig. 5. The support 39 located upon section l2 may conveniently be in the form of a post or stud. In order that the tension. of the spring 38 may be controlled in accordance with the adjustment of cross-section of form Hi, the opposite end of the spring 38 is adjustably connected to the section i. As shown in the drawing, this adjustable support comprises a lug 40 secured to the section II. The lug 40 has a bore therein threaded for the reception of a threaded element 4|. The element 4| has an annular portion of reduced diameter indicated at 42. A collar 43 is confined within this reduced annular portion and is freely rotatable relative to the element 4|. The collar 43 has an offset portion adapted for reception of one end of the spring 38. The element 4| is provided with a finger grip portion 44 by which the element may be conveniently rotated for adjustment in the tension of spring 38. Expansion of the form under the influence of the spring 38 is limited by an adjustable stop comprising an abutment member 45 secured to the section l2 and a threaded stop element 46 adjustably carried by a suitable support 41 secured to the section II.

The form I0 is supported by a spacing member 21 similar in all respects to the spacing The plates 34 are mounted upon member 21 described above in connection with cross-section of the form i is adjusted in accordance with the cross-section of the bag which it is desired to use. To this end, the adjustable pivots 33 are moved to such position that the chute portion above the pivots 33 and the plates or blades i9 and'zll' will form a continuous passageway having a cross-section substantially equal to the cross-section of the bag when the blades l9 and 20' are substantially parallel. The stop, 45, 46 is adjusted to permit the section II to rock about the pivots 33 to such an extent that the bag engaging portions of the form will tend to expand to a cross-section slightly greater than that of the bag when fully opened. The tension of the spring 38 is adjusted by manipulation of the element lit and should be so selected as to firmly hold a bag thereon without exerting suflicient expansive force to result in tearing of the bag. The adjustment of the stop 45, as insures the expansion of the form to an extent sufficient to hold the bag thereon and at the same time prevents the form from opening to an undesirable extent when the bag is removed therefrom. The use of this form of my invention in the packaging of materials in flexible containers is the same in all respects as the use of the form shown in Fig. 1 as hereinbefore described.

rom the above description it will be apparent that I have provided a method and means for packaging commodities which fulfills the objects of my invention. While the above detailed description of a preferred form of my invention has been made in compliance with statutory requirements, it will be obvious that modifications and variations in details and modes of use may be resorted to by those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, my intention that such description shall be taken in an illustrative rather than in a limiting sense and that the scope of my invention shall be limited only by the appended claims. I claim:

1. In a bag filling and holding device, a material-receiving chute having opposed front and rear walls and having side walls comprising telescoped flanges extending from said front and rear walls, bearing members adjacent the bottom of said chute and pivotally uniting said flanges, said bearing members being adjustable where.- by the cross-ssction of said chute may be varied,

the front and rear walls of said chute extending beyond said bearing members to form blades adapted to be inserted within the bag to be filled, said blades being substantially coextensive with opposite walls of said bag, spring means yieldably urging said blades to rock about said bearing members into substantially parallel relationship against the walls of said bag to hold the latter on said blades in opened position, means for varying the tension of said spring means in accordance with variations in cross-section of said chute, said flanges extending beyond said bearing members whereby to form a passageway from the chute to the interior of said bag, and portions of said flange extensions having edges in opposed spaced relation to provide an opening through which the material within the bag may be engaged to hold said material in the bag upon removal thereof from said blades.

2. In a bag filling and holding device, a material-receiving chute having opposed front and rear walls and having side walls comprising telescoped flanges extending from said front and rear walls, bearing members adjacent the bottom of said chute and pivotally uniting said flanges, said bearing members being adjustable whereby the cross-section of said chute may be varied, the front and rear walls of said chute extending beyond said bearing members to form blades adapted to be inserted within the bag to be filled said blades being substantially coextensive with opposite walls of said bag, spring means yieldably urging said blades to rock about said hearing members into substantially parallel relationship against the walls of said bag to hold the lat ter on said blades in opened position, means for varying the tension of said spring means in accordance with variations in cross-section of said chute, adjustable stop means for limiting V the rocking of said blades about said bearing members, said flanges extending beyond said bearing members whereby to form a passageway from the chute to the interior of said bag, and portions of said flange extensions having edges in opposed spaced relation to provide an opening through which the material may be engaged to hold said material in the bag upon removal thereof from said blades.

FREDERICK H. MEENDSEN. 

